


Slices of Midnight

by Blazing_rain



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Background Relationships, Dialogue Heavy, Gen, Light Worldbuilding, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Rebellion Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29293203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blazing_rain/pseuds/Blazing_rain
Summary: It was an idyllic world, staged in a broken universe past the edge of town. Kyouko Sakura was happy, her friends were happy and the days seemed to pass without issue. Only rarely would she question it, on days where the world's antics grew strange and the strings of puppets were tightly drawn. One such day, she remembered. That day, on a long road with no turns, she went looking for answers about the world, which was idyllic yet not perfect, but free of fear. She knew who had them, and there was nothing wrong with hitting up an old friend.She went to see Homura Akemi, the one who restarted it all. She went looking for answers, for hope and maybe a chance to bring light. And in its beginnings, all was well.
Relationships: Akemi Homura & Sakura Kyouko
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Slices of Midnight

The nights in Mitakihara had grown cold as winter struck Japan, bringing with it early nights and beautiful snow, coating the city in a thin blanket. Despite its reputation as a metropolis, Mitakihara’s nights were silent. This was not out of an emptiness, though. People didn’t exactly move through in droves, but there were still a good few groups hanging around at any given time. These groups were hushed, however. Like they were trying to avoid being spotted by something, like the streets were ushering them along with their unfriendly lanterns and unbalanced stones that were never in quite the same place. No one talked about it, thought about it or saw it for more than it seemed to be, choosing to leave the streets at peace because they had no other choices. At least, most of them didn’t. Some people, like Kyouko Sakura, very much chose otherwise, if not in the traditional sense.

The redhead wasn’t being loud, or annoying, or committing any crimes just yet. She was walking by herself along the long road with no turns, hands in her pockets and a scarf around her neck, going further from the center. When Kyouko had first arrived in Mitakihara, she had quickly noticed the shift in mood from her home town of Kazamino. Kazamino wasn’t loud all the time, but it was a bigger city, different from this one. It wasn’t confrontational with the very people that walked on it at least. But for the life of her, Kyouko hadn’t been able to figure out why this city, which was so idyllic during the day, had this strange face at night.

It took a long while for her to figure it out, even for the first time. She had moved in with Sayaka Miki, her girlfriend, under circumstances neither could quite recall. Here and there she was missing memories, ones she felt she needed. Then, there was one friend in particular that struck a strange chord with her.

In truth, Kyouko had no real problem with Homura Akemi. Sayaka had said she didn’t really trust the girl, but had at least come to tolerate her despite the warnings she gave to Kyouko. The noirette was a bit more quiet than the rest of the group, but Kyouko liked her sense of humor and found her enjoyable enough to be around. Apparently Homura hadn’t been in Mitakihara for very long either, though she had caught the same sensation about the town as Kyouko had.

“There are… many things about this city that don’t quite make sense, Kyouko Sakura.” She had spoken with a knowing smile. “It seems a bit unnatural. Perhaps we should look into it a bit more.”

Back then Kyouko had decided not to look much deeper, though she didn’t know why. Now, however, perhaps by luck, she did: Homura Akemi was the source of the strangeness. This world was one of her own design and this city, which looked so real, was her domain. That one piece of remembrance, given to her by Sayaka, had made it all come flooding back. What her father did to her, what Mami had done, what Homura wrought upon this world. This beautiful, yet broken world. A world Kyouko felt conflicted about.

Sayaka said that the world was inherently wrong. She had many reasons, they all made a bit of sense. But Kyouko still liked this world. She was together with all the people she loved, didn’t need to fight, didn’t need to worry. Sure, sometimes food randomly rotted or the weather suddenly shifted for the worse, but the world of despair seemed to bring nothing but hope, at least for those who were once less fortunate. Still, Sayaka had insisted on doing something about it, and Kyouko couldn’t deny that the bluenette was justified, so she volunteered to do her own thing first. It was something she had put more thought in than her usual plans, but whether or not it would work…

“Kyouko Sakura.”

It was the voice of Homura, who was waiting in the shadows, who was looking at the half-a-moon and waiting for Kyouko to turn the corner into a narrow street, the first turn of the long road. The redhead did and looked upon the same dull glaze in the sky, before focusing on the epicenter of the world, around whom all disaster had formed.

The raven-haired girl that called herself Homura Akemi was hardly dressed the part of ‘God’ or ‘Demon’, having donned a plain black hoodie and skirt, though the pistol in her hand hinted that she was at least alert and willing to do her ‘duties’.

“Evenin’, Homes.” Kyouko spoke up casually, like she was used to with the noirette. “Glad to see you conveniently pop up. How you doing?”

“Calm and joyful.” Homura responded, head tilted towards Kyouko. “Every recent day has been peaceful and devoid of altercations. I’ve had… time, to try and further mend what I’ve broken. Of course, your presence here might signal the end of it. Are you here because of Sayaka Miki?”

“Yep yep, kinda. Did the whole ‘remembering’ thing. Don’t think I’ve ever come to you before, huh? I convinced Sayaka to let me do my own thing this time, since her plans aren’t working, great as they might be.”

“Indeed. For what it is worth, she has become a much more intelligent strategist and fighter. It has helped keep the game interesting, even if it is a hassle.” The self-proclaimed demoness lowered her eyes, from the half-a-moon to Kyouko. “It leaves me curious about the plan you have conceived. Surely you don’t intend to stop me, all by yourself.”

“Nah, not really. Seems like a waste of my memories. Besides, we’d need Pinkie for that, methinks. I’m just here to talk, maybe ask some questions. Hang out with a friend, you know?”

She received a scrutinizing look for her efforts, one that soon shifted into something more understanding. “I see. That’s… not too bad,” Homura cast a glance around. “Would you mind if we went elsewhere, then? I can think of a few places more comfortable than this cold alleyway.”

Upon Kyouko’s consent, Homura’s weapon vanished in a flash of lights, allowing her to clap her hands. The sound echoed unnaturally and the world around her cut like a film scene, shifting into an entirely different environment. To the redhead’s bewilderment the vast, tech-heavy metropolis had given way to a vineyard. It was just as large, if not larger than Mitakihara and obviously not in the same realm as it. Neither star nor moon hung up in the sky. Rather, the only thing lighting up their surroundings were the grapes on the vine: Rather than any sort of normal berry, they held bunches of purple, glowing stars swaying in a wind that didn’t exist. Kyouko could see them every which way, a sea of stars lighting up the night and leaving her feeling like it was a warm spring day.

Kyouko was left feeling enchanted by the vineyard’s beauty, having seen nothing comparable in any of the worlds she remembered. Her companion was obviously amused by it, smiling as she picked a bunch of stars. She held them up like a lantern, lighting up the still-dark loamy soil on their path, which was long and had no turns. Kyouko noticed that her hands were shaky as she did so. “Come along. We can talk while we walk.”

Kyouko, of course, did so. She didn’t want to get lost in a place that caught her attention so easily. “Where the hell did you take me? Pretty sure a place as pretty as this can’t exist on earth.”

“Has Sayaka Miki ever told you about the Witches of the first world?” Kyouko shook her head. “Then compare it to what the Incubator did to my soul when it created the fake Mitakihara. It’s a small crystallization of despair, powerful enough to sustain a pocket dimension. I mainly use them as a testing ground for my abilities, but I’m certain the purpose we give it now is a welcome one, no?”

“Yeah, pretty much. It’s pretty as hell and plenty dramatic. You’ve come a long way from those annoying hair tosses you used to do.” She chuckled. Homura seemed amused enough, cracking a genuine smile. “Are these stars edible? Seeing them’s got me hungry.”

“They are, surprisingly. I had made them for aesthetic purposes, but they taste quite good. Makes for a fine wine, too.” She took one of the grapes off of her lantern-bunch and handed it to Kyouko, who quickly gobbled the large berry up. It was warm to the touch and had a sweet, rich flavour that was as grape-like as she’d hoped.

“You’re right, they taste great! Hope you didn’t just catch me in a forbidden-fruit type deal, though.” The redhead joked, taking another grape before returning her hands to her pockets. “This stuff is pretty impressive. Like, you don’t just make a whole mini-universe that easily. Is there anything you can’t do with that weird magic of yours?”

“I’m hardly omnipotent, though I won’t be as brazen as to reveal the limits I do have. I trust you, but I’d rather not see Sayaka try and exploit anything.”

“Yeah, I getcha. Not gonna try and pry everything out of you. Just… I want to know one thing in particular, you know?”

Homura gave her a knowing glance, eyes falling from seriousness into mirth as Kyouko’s did the same. “If I may guess, you want to know about your parents?”

A nod. “I want to know if you can bring them back. Can you do something like that? I know you think we’re more likely to stay if we’re happy here, right? Can’t think of anything more obvious to do.”

Her words were followed by a silence, one that dragged on. The only sound left was that of their shoes digging into the soil, with more footfalls than there could be. 

When Homura finally spoke up, her words were measured: “I did try to bring them back. With the power I gained, I believed that something I had to do. I was quick to be reminded, however… the dead can’t come back. If such a thing could be done, none of this would have happened.

“When a soul passes away, it is permanently gone. I do not know where they go, afterlife or not, but I can’t follow them. Travelling into an alternate timeline would not bring back the same ones, and it is unlikely I could do such a thing without a hitch. That is why I have not brought your parents back, Kyouko. There is no real way for me to do so. I had discovered… alternatives, but those would be a blight upon even my conscience. For the time being, this is the best I could make.”

Kyouko’s head hung down as the news was broken to her. She had expected it, of course. Half a mind was dedicated to the idea that Homura would give her a trial or have her swear allegiance, or maybe not giving a damn about her full happiness. She couldn’t tell if reality was more or less depressing than this. At least she knew for certain now. It seemed like Homura cared about her enough to make personal limits on what she did. The girl wasn’t over the edge just yet.

She was curious about that, too. Power changed people, after all. Just had to prod it a bit… “Really? That’s a surprise. After all the fucked-up memory shit you’ve pulled I’d think the whole morals thing was out the window.”

“I’d rather not do anything to decay our bonds more than I already have. I made this world for the opportunity to live a life free of the Incubators’ grasp. As much as I feel the need to isolate myself for the damage I have done, I would be a fool to let it all slip and spend none of my time with the people I fought alongside.” Her mouth opened again, but she chose not to speak whatever words she wanted to say.

“Oh, so that’s why you went from distant creep to cozying up again, huh? Good to know at least one God appreciates our existence these days. Madoka’s very happy about you opening up, but I dunno if the other two appreciate your presence a ton. You’re not doing a lot with them, is the thing. Doesn’t make it seem like you believe in what you’re saying, like, at all.”

“A God? That seems a bit too positive a term for me, especially coming from you.” Homura initially sidestepped the question, to Kyouko’s obvious chagrin. Luckily, she did continue, “I have been thinking about Sayaka and Mami. They are… difficult, for me to get close to. But we have enough similarities. I’ll try to take you up on your suggestion. Still, Madoka is my main priority. That much I won’t change.”

“Yeah, we noticed. You’re very obviously stalling on asking her out. Try not to keep away from the others if you want that to work out. And,” She pointed an accusatory finger. “Don’t go and scheme like you used to. Sayaka and Mami were your friends in those ‘timelines’ from before, right? Even if you’re different now, you can be their friend just by being open with them. ‘s long as you don’t scheme and look more like a weirdo than usual, you’ll be fine.”

“You know me too well, sometimes. I doubt a little planning has ever hurt anyone, in all honesty, but I understand where you come from,” Homura nodded, head shaking a bit too much. “But I thought my feelings for Madoka were less obvious this time around. I suppose my habit of crypticness is not doing much these days. You’re right, I’ve been wanting to ask her out, but there’s been a few trepidations. Pitiful ones, if I’m honest.”

She let it fall into silence, either not wanting to say more or not sure on what to say. Kyouko let it rest, seeing where Homura would take it as they happened upon a clearing. In a perfect circle -how could she tell?- the vines had given way to grass, devoid of light entirely. In the middle of the clearing, only visible by Homura’s lantern, stood a small wooden cabin with a ladder on it, allowing for a safe climb to the roof. Homura did so first and subsequently sat down, dangling her legs over the roof. Kyouko followed suit, admiring the empty yet beautiful night sky. Homura had let go of her bunch of grapes, which now hung still in the night sky. Her eyes looked especially tired in that instant.

“It really is a weak reason.” Homura finally continued. In her hand she held a glass filled with a liquid that looked like a nebula, which Kyouko guessed was the wine she had mentioned. Upon offering, Kyouko took a glass of her own. “I believe Sayaka had talked to you about confessing to that annoying violin boy. About how she didn’t feel human enough to do so, because her soul had become confined to the Soul Gem. She called herself a ‘zombie’ in many of those timelines.” 

“And now, you call yourself a Demon because you were selfish and carried out your wish. Like, it’s not even correct by biblical standards. You’re closer to a God of some kind. Greek Gods act human, don’t they? You look and act human to me, and you’re going around creating beautiful places like this one. What’re you seeing that I’m not?”

Homura smiled, and Kyouko noticed something she hadn’t before. The thin line of her mouth went far past her lips, up to her right ear. When she opened it to speak, she saw lines of teeth she had never seen before. For the briefest moment, the redhead thought she saw something moving in there.

“I see…” Homura hesitated, plucking her ear cuff out and transforming it into the object that resembled a soul gem. “Colours. Colours humans can’t see. In the outside world, and in the depths of myself.” The glowing purple orb spun within its black casing, like Homura’s six fingers had - like Homura’s four fingers had - spun it around. “I am being a hypocrite when I say this, but I have truly ceased to be human. When you attain power like mine, a human body isn’t enough to contain it. This ‘Soul Gem’, if we can call it that, serves as a link between this body and my power. Me and myself.” The orb shimmered, as if responding to its holder. “As long as I keep a tight grip on it, nothing is wrong. But losing control, even a bit, causes things to leak out. If that happens, it could only result in disaster.” Homura sighed. “Ultimately, I call myself a demon because of what I’ve done just as much as for what I am. If I lose control and reveal myself, Madoka will remember. She’ll remember all the terrible things I have done, realize I don’t deserve this happiness. I will finally get what I deserve. And I can’t say I want that, despite myself.”

Homura looked forlorn in that moment, lost. She looked like she genuinely believed in her words, as much as Sayaka had. It caused Kyouko to remember something. How she was called a ‘witch’ and a ‘portent of evil’ by her father. The smell of charred flesh and the sounds of the church collapsing. Of Sayaka becoming a witch and of Homura tearing Madoka in two. It was all done by people who refused to see the whole truth, who refused to see the good sides of themselves and others.

All people who could have been saved.

Kyouko gingerly reached her hand out towards Akemi. When the noirette didn’t react, she put it around the girl’s shoulders, suppressing a shiver at how cold her skin felt. Kyouko was almost glad that Homura was so stoic about it, not screaming or bawling her eyes out. Even if it meant the first Homura was so far away, it at least left her easier to console.

“Look, Homes. I’m not gonna say that you did the right thing. You did kinda fuck with our free will and remodel the world. But,” She took a sip of wine, savouring its strange taste. “I’m a desire-over-order kind of person, too. I understand why you did it. I don’t give a damn if you’re a different thing physically, you’re still you. And I give a damn about you.” Another pause. “If you want to get one thing done before it goes to shit, get along with everyone and get the fucking girl. Be happy for a while. At this point it shouldn’t matter whether or not you deserve it, that never mattered much to me either.”

“But what if she remembers? Then-”

“If she loves you, I’m sure she can compromise. Rule together, like a pantheon or something. Knowing her, she might actually forgive you.” A snap of her fingers. “Besides, if she’s got the same powers as you, she’d have all the shit you’re dealing with… kinda. Wouldn’t she understand being like that?” Slowly, Homura nodded.

“Thought so. Being a God doesn’t make you two any less special to each other. No matter if you’re good or evil, human or not, you gotta go for it. People like us shouldn’t be thinking in blacks and whites.”

“I suppose,” Homura half-agreed. “Nothing has even been that simple for us. It’s why I worry about this world so often.” She put her free arm, which was still shaking, around Kyouko’s shoulder. “The black-and-white thinking was always my problem with Sayaka Miki. Due to the way I perform myself, she was always more inclined to see me as untrustworthy, or even evil. That view faded with the wisdom of the Law of the Cycle, but her views of me have become justified, in a way.” Her shoulders sagged tiredly as she leaned against her friend. “Things like that make me miss the loops, despite everything. Simplicity and predictability are nice at times.”

“Maybe, but then you made this mess. It’s only really complicated because you think it is. The others have their work cut out for them.” The redhead pointed at her chest. “Me? When the time comes, I’ll need to pick sides between my girlfriend and the one that’s keeping her alive. I’m better at just picking fights, I’ll tell you.”

“I wouldn’t condemn you for picking against me. I owe you that much for being patient with me.” A grin crawled its way back onto her grim face. “Not that you’ll have much of a chance without Madoka at your side, anyway. It won’t be a serious battle, just a fun one.”

“If you know how to fight entertainingly, sure. Haven’t had a good fight since the world started.” The redhead rolled along, chuckling. “But I don’t think you need to owe me shit to forgive me, things’ll work out. Why don’t I use that on something else?” When Homura showed intrigue, she explained an impulse: “Show me what you look like when you fully cut loose. Show me the face of God and all that.”

Homura blinked twice with her eight -eight?- eyes, surprised but obviously amused, if the deep rumblings inside of her head were any indication. When next she spoke, she was inside Kyouko's head. It wasn’t a voice as much as it was a pervasive ringing with a meaning. “I see that you’re certain. I will try to make it as visible as possible, then.”

Homura stood up, balancing on the roof with ease. It was only then, when she felt traces of a headache forming, that Kyouko noticed how many body parts Homura had. There were eyes all over her arms and legs, of which there were multitudes, and her wings stood against the dark of night with feathers resembling bone. Her body was pulsing, pulling and collapsing into itself with the sickening crunch of splintering bone. Kyouko’s view became blurry when something broke through the barrier of skin, a mass black as the night yet nothing like it. Homura smiled at Kyouko’s growing confusion, her mouth reaching into endlessness, but if the movements of her lips were speech Kyouko couldn’t hear it.

Finally, Homura folded open and showed the world a goddess that was a damaged human, existing beyond body and blood and bone and the very dust of bones and the wind that would blow the dust away. It was a being made of despair and thoughts that fill a brain that is a damaged brain, tied in a ribbon of hope that kept it together. Kyouko’s eyes, however, could not comprehend the reality of the being in front of her, trying to shield her from it. All her eyes were able to see was Homura, as a human. Her hair was twisted into the French braids she wore in the fake world, but her expression was as stone cold as the Homura she knew. Still, tears fell from those eyes like feathers from fleeing birds. Her body was decaying and creaking, but she stood still with a hand reached out, as if begging her to come closer. Somewhere, Kyouko knew that this wasn’t what was truly in front of her, that her headache had conjured an illusion Homura wouldn’t want her to see. Still, she couldn’t help but think she got what she wanted: The true face of the God in front of her.

Soon, Kyouko failed to see anything at all as her mind slipped into unconsciousness, unwilling to be aware of anything more.

* * *

When Kyouko woke up, it was by the incessant blaring of an alarm cloak. She groaned, slapping her hand in its general direction until it turned off. For a long, groggy moment she had no clue what was going on. Only after Sayaka jumped out of bed besides her did the memories come flooding back. Homura hadn’t erased hers. She vividly recalled their conversation, their ideas and the advice she had given the noirette. The only thing really missing was Homura’s full form, with just her hallucination in its place. Homura must have brought her home and erased Sayaka’s memories along the way.

The two quickly traversed their early morning routine and headed for the living room, where Sayaka’s parents had already made their breakfast. A small glance to the cupboard in the corner of the room revealed a bottle of the nebula wine Homura had made, as if trying to confirm to Kyouko that she hadn’t been dreaming.

Halfway through breakfast, Sayaka decided to press the subject of Kyouko’s absence. “So, why were you out so late this time? I was starting to think you weren’t coming back, you know.”

“Oh, nothing special. Just wanted to talk to a friend of mine, you know? Heard she was around and didn’t wanna wait.”

Miraculously, Sayaka seemed to take that as enough for an answer. “Of course you did, of course,” She groaned. “Just… try to break that habit, okay? I know you’re used to that kind of thing, but… you live with us now. Keeping to the rules will be better for you in the long run Kyouko, trust me.”

“I’ll try, I’ll try.” Kyouko waved off with a sigh. “No promises yet. Can’t just throw me in this place and expect me to adapt. But I’ll try.”

That seemed like enough to placate Sayaka, as she dropped the topic for the rest of breakfast and talked about simpler things while preparing their bentos. Soon, they had hit the road to Mitakihara middle school, meeting up with Mami and Hitomi along the way. Madoka and Homura had been further along the straight road, looking happy with themselves.

When Homura and Kyouko’s eyes met, they exchanged a few nods before slotting in next to each other. Madoka, a package deal, walked along while holding the Noirette’s hand. Some surprisingly easy prodding revealed that Homura had indeed asked Madoka out and the pink-haired girl said yes. It really had been that easy, to Homura’ s surprise. Kyouko wasn’t sure if the rest could see, but her four eyes were shaped into obvious mirth.

Kyouko was sure this world could not last forever, nothing did. It was all a long road with no turns. When the time came and everything fell back down, she wanted Homura to be satisfied, happy and most importantly,  _ willing to make a deal _ . It had been her underlying thought when she first approached Homura, when they started talking. The self-proclaimed demoness was still confused and scared, fearing herself. If she didn’t want to be forgiven, she wouldn’t be getting anywhere. No one would be getting their perfect ending and the world would be unbalanced either way.

That was Kyouko’s desire, over any order. She was finally surrounded by people she cared about again and she would not let go. This world, the previous world or any in between, as long as they were there, that would be fine. Even if this world was considered broken, she didn’t mind. After all, she didn’t really need to pick a side; Her side was her own and for now, everyone was on it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Criticism and commentary are always welcome.  
> I'm still not used to the tagging system, I hope this one went correctly.  
> I hope that at one time, we will get worldbuilding for the post-rebellion world. It seems like a very interesting place.


End file.
